Biography

In 1971 Jerry Correll and Tom Mylet met either at Sunset Park, West Grove, PA or at a jam in Wilmington, DE. Jerry, back from Vietnam, was recuperating from a wound that almost took his hand off. He could no longer play the guitar but realized he could use a fiddle bow. Fiddling became his physical therapy. He took lessons from Emmitt Lundy’s grandson Jerry Lundy and Sonny Miller, also rooted in the Blue Ridge. After graduation from college, Jerry took his fiddle, a VW van, $100 and moved to Grayson County, VA.

Shortly afterward, Jerry invited Tom down. They went to Grayson Highlands Park, where we ran into fiddler Albert Hash. Albert, as nice a person as you’ll meet, asked them to “have a tune.” Tom had heard that anytime you stopped you’d meet a fiddler so he moved down, too. Jerry and Tom each bought places in Elk Creek and got to play with Kyle Creed and others.

Almost 40 years later, Jerry’s repertory stretches from the Blue Ridge to the Ozarks. ITom has come and gone from Elk Creek, but Jerry stayed and has been the fiddler in the Wolfe Bros. String Band for the last 20+ years. They continued to play and often threatened to record. A few years ago, Jerry also started playing with Kyle Dean Smith. While Jerry and Tom were cutting their teeth up North, Kyle Dean was tagging along with his father Snake Smith. Snake played with Fred Cockerham, George Peagram and Haywood Blevins. It evidently had an impact on Kyle Dean. While Kyle Dean can play banjo like Earl, Bela and everyone in between, his approach is always innovative but respectful. When the three got together, it felt “right.” It was finally time to record.

To round out the project, they called on family members: Kyle Dean, his father Snake – banjo and guitar; Jerry, his wife Donna – bass; and Tom's daughter Chloe – bowed bass. While they play here as a band, we are foremost friends & family.